Risotto Cakes, Snooty Style

At my house we adore Risotto Cakes, so I often freeze half of the recipe, already shaped into cakes. Since there are just the two of us now, most of my recipes are too big for us, so I freeze a lot of things. These cakes freeze amazingly well. The first time I made these I dipped them in Mashed Potato Flakes to coat both sides. We later decided that was entirely too decadent. That said, here is my recipe for them:



Risotto Cakes:



Ingredients:









1 Cup Arborio Rice (good for lowering cholesterol)

4 Cups Chicken Stock

5 Garlic Cloves, pressed

1 Cup Red Onion, finely chopped

3 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Dry White Wine

1/2 Cup Grated or Shredded Parmesan Cheese, fresh

2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley

Sea Salt & Pepper, to taste








Directions:




1. In a medium saucepan melt 2 Tbls. of the butter and add the olive oil. Saute' the onion & garlic over medium heat until onion is translucent.




2. Add the rice and mix well to coat. Stir the mixture over heat, pan frying for one minute, or until you smell the fragrance.






3. Add wine & allow to evaporate, then add one cup of the chicken stock. Simmer, stirring occasionally until all liquid has been absorbed.









4. Continue adding chicken stock by 1/4 cupfuls, stirring occasionally.










5. When rice is cooked (approximately 20 minutes), add the remaining one Tbls. of butter, parmesan cheese and parsley. Stir vigorously.


6. Allow mixture to cool for an hour or so. You can use the refrigerator to do this, but I just set it on the counter, covered in plastic wrap, under the ceiling fan, which works quite well.

7. When ready to cook the cakes, shape a fistful of the mixture into small patties.


8. Be sure that your oil is hot enough or they will just soak up all the oil. I usually start this when the oil is just beginning to smoke.

9. Brown on each side for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until the cakes reach desired color.

10. Drain risotto cakes on paper towels and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

11. Sprinkle a little shredded or grated Parmesan over the tops. They are also great served with Hollandaise Sauce.